Nov 1 2007
Allergan, Inc has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved its new glaucoma combo drug Combigan (brimonidine tartrate / timolol maleate). The ophthalmic solution contains 0.2% alpha adrenergic agonist and 0.5% beta receptor inhibitor. It is indicated for reduction of increased intraocular pressure in glaucoma.
Allergan's other glaucoma medications already marketed, include Lumigan (bimatoprost) 0.03% and Alphagan P (brimonidine tartrate) 0.1% and 0.5%.
“There is no cure for glaucoma; however, lowering elevated IOP can slow the progression of the disease and help prevent further vision loss,” said E. Randy Craven, M.D., Director of Glaucoma Consultants of Colorado and Associate Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology, University of Colorado School of Medicine. “Many patients require more than one medication to meet their target IOP. With COMBIGAN™, it is exciting to be able to offer patients two strong agents in one bottle.”
During a 12 month trial, Combigan was shown to reduce mean intraocular pressure by up to 7.6 mmHg from baseline. It was also observed that Combigan had better results than either timolol or brimonidine, administered alone.